Spruce Railroad Trail
From 2017 to 2019, the Spruce Railroad Trail was upgraded to universal accessibility standards. Some areas of the trail were paved, and widened to approximately 10 feet wide.
McFee Tunnel
The McFee Tunnel is a railroad tunnel along the Spruce Railroad Trail which was blasted during World War I. Prior to its renovation, the tunnel was only accessible via off-trail access points, which were difficult to reach and largely unsafe. The tunnel itself was pitch-black and contained materials from when the railroad was being built, such as old railroad ties.
Renovation
In April 2017, Bruch and Bruch Construction of Port Angeles received a $1.2 million contract to restore the 450-foot long tunnel, and widen the trail segment to roughly 12 feet. This began with blasting the south end of the tunnel, opening it from end-to-end. Debris was then cleared from the tunnel, and workers began reinforcing the inside by applying "shotcrete" to the tunnel walls. Next, a Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall was built around the arch pipe on the northeast entrance to the tunnel, with a facade added to represent the tunnel's original appearance.
The McFee Tunnel was officially opened to the public on July 15, 2017.
Daley-Rankin Tunnel
The Daley-Rankin Tunnel is a second, shorter railroad tunnel on the trail. Tradition has it that both tunnels were blasted closed and rendered dangerous to enter when railroad operations ceased. As part of a larger construction project that involved 10 miles of trail linked to the Olympic Discovery Trail, the Daley-Rankin Tunnel was finally reopened in late 2020. As a result, the full public trail is now open to hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and wheelchair.
References
- ^ "Spruce Railroad Trail Section of ODT is Finally Complete and Open to the Public". Radio Pacific, Inc. 2020-12-03.
- ^ "Spruce Railroad Trail at Lake Crescent to be reopened this weekend | Peninsula Daily News". Peninsula Daily News. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
- ^ "McFee Tunnel on the Spruce Railroad Trail". Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^ Gale, Aiden (2019). "When War Put Clallam County to Work" (PDF). Hands on History program of the North Olympic History Center.
- ^ Bisbee, Gene (2020-12-04). "Improved Spruce Railroad Trail Reopens at Lake Crescent". Biking Bis.